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Jung, Matsuzaka did have 200+k his first season and was 4th cy young voting his second. 200k isn't an easy feat and certainly requires some aggressiveness. I think the nuances of the posting system sweeten the investment pot for teams. Getting access to talented players with less cost to them in cap space has some value.

You think Buehrle is worth four years at almost 15m? He's a non-spectacular innings eater. Very similar contract to Lackeys, because he doesn't have ace stuff. Wilson? His deal isn't horrible, but it is certainly a big FA contract. If he's anything but an ace it will be an overpay at the end, when he is paid 20m in year 5. I think FA is almost by definition an overpay.

Papelbon is gone. He isn't coming back. He may be a unique and irreplaceable closer. He may not. I think he was great too, believe me, but his current contract is at or exceeding his highest possible returns. Again, we wI'll have to watch tomsee how he does, but for the time being he is gone and many are comPlaining about a guy like Madson. Seems weird to me. Madson isn't Lidge. He's an effective pitcher whose numbers rival Papelbons over the past two years... In a small stadium, in pressure packed games, rabid fans, high expectations. It wanst Madson who walked off the mound losing to the orioles at the end of this year. His team made the playoffs and Madson held his own.

The reasonable supposition is that it makes lots of sense to not go over the LT this year if they can help it. It also makes sense to save their chips for next year and to be prepared to unload salary for those pitchers. How good would both Matt Cain and Cole Hamels look next year? If we knew they are going to make an all out rum for those two would that make the moves this year more sensible on the surface? Purely hypothetical...

You do realize that Madson was the bullpen ace the year before, right? Yes, he only closed full time for one season. The year before that they used him as the sox used Bard last year. He was in many high leverage situations and was their best reliever. Let's not overdo it with the magical qualities of the closer position. It's important to show you've done it and can handle it (though not essential, IMHO) but teams over pay for that line on a resume probably more than any other. I don't expect the sox to fall into that camp if they don't have to.

I think it would be foolish to write off starting pitchers from Japan based on a very small sample size. He'll, I think it would be foolish with a large sample size. Why be blind to a good chunk of the baseball playing world if you don't have to be? There is plenty of thought that dice-k struggled with injury long before he was shut down in 2011. There were games early on when he looked very good and had a few seasons where he was well above MLB fringe caliber. Let's stop pretending he was an incompetent and untalented pitcher. I would suggest that the sox stay engaged with Japanese pitchers to maxamize their chances of landing the first big success story from those ranks. Bobby valentine seems like just the right vehicle for that to happen.

1. If Darvish can be had for the right price they should get him. By right price I mean the amount Henry would be willing to spend. I think if he's healthy he has a very high ceiling. 2. What would be wrong with signing Madson for a few million less than papelbon and a year or two shorter? How is that a bad thing again? He's a very good pitcher. Pitched for good teams in big situations. No big injury concerns. I don't get the freaking out, other than from those with an unreasonably high view of Papelbon--who has suddenly ascended to god-like status around here. 3. Do people believe Cherington would be well served to put all his cards on the table, explain the team strategy for all to hear? Should he be freaking out like many of you are, saying "good heavens me! We can't go into next season without a RH OF! Gracious, we will have to pay through the nose for some veteran who has closed before because we are desperate! Please be nice to us Scott Boras and the rest of the agents out there... We are desperate!". He'll mo. This team could manage with RF as it is. They can and will find players for all the roles and might still sign a significant player or make a big trade. It does the team no good to look and act desperate. Remember, every potential signing is ammunition for many of you next year if the move doesn't work our. That would have included Papelbon too.

If the Red Sox have a good season in 2012 a lot of people here will look pretty silly. The team needs to add a few pieces, but I also think they really are a good team. Only time will tell.

Now that Saito has been signed I suppose we should just put a ribbon on the offseason and call it a day. I haven't heard his name mentioned here as someone people would be wanting to sign. Regardless, I suspect we will see some moves soon... whether thru trades or cold hard cash.

Anyone else listen to the Bobby Valentine interviews in last few days? One thing I've noticed already is that he comes across as either a huge exagerator, or a perpetual liar. Is there anything he says that doesn't come with a story filled with BS? Did you hear the three envelope rag he pulled in his interview with Tito? It would be one thing if his stories carried greater moral or perspectival value, but so far it sounds like he thinks the fans he is talking to are really stupid and uninformed. Just an initial take. He's interesting but not much of a straight shooter as far as I can tell.

I doubt it. That would be too simple and, frankly, too good a deal for the Sox. I really like Ellsbury but would move him pretty quickly for a true ace. Pitching rules the league and the Sox adding Felix would really make them a dangerous team. I also think Kalish can take over for Ellsbury in the near future. Crawford Pedroia Gonzalez Youkilis Ortiz Lavarnway Reddick Scutaro Kalish Felix Beckett Lester Buchholz Aceves Bard (closer) That's got the makings of a really good team. Probaby too much to hope Ellsbury for Felix straight up would work though...

I suspect their vision is to keep Beckett and to add to the pitching, so I think Youkliis or Ellsbury would be near the top if a blockbuster were in order. I've said it a million times, but they should back up the bus and get Felix from Seattle. Felix, Beckett, Lester, Buchholz and Aceves would be really tough to beat. I realize it's a pipe dream, but man he would be a nice addition.

Too close to call. If Prince Fielder comes to the AL then the All Star voting will be even sillier.

Lucchino was on the radio the other day talking about wanting Cherington to be bold, and implied that this could be particularly in the realm of trades. They have soured on FA for the moment. I suppose there's a small chance they are all just biding their time for an aggressive push on Darvish, but between the Rangers, Yankees, Marlins, Jays and probably a few others, that seems unlikely. A substantial trade could include Youkilis, or Ellsbury, or I suppose Buchholz (who has a VERY favorable contract which could make him coveted by just about every team in the game). It seems more likely that they will shift previous philosophies and part with MLB ready talent. Obviously a team that got a package including Middlebrooks, Kalish, Ranaudo + would be getting a lot of not-too-distant talent, and the Sox could get a lot in return. Hopefully that isn't Gio Gonzalez.

1) Fluke and exception are not exclusive terms here. Their success isn't a fluke, because their players are good. Their success as a franchise is, however, the exception because most teams with their resources aren't anywhere near as successful. Are you sticking with me here? 2) They won by a single game... clock cleaning...

Weird. Bummer. Etc., I hope it isn't what it seems, but I'm pretty jaded at this point.

I hear this argument all the time, but here's my question: Have you actually seen the Rays teams of the past 4 years? These aren't some fluke and they aren't representitive of a low revenue club. These are f***ing good baseball teams. They are the exception, not the norm. It's not an excuse, but seriously, the Rays have been legit year in and year out. They've made some good trades and have signed amateur players really well. I know we should be ashamed that they compete with the Sox (and Yanks, mind you) but I got over that a few years ago. They're just good.

Oh, well if that is your only point then sure. My point is that because it is the Yankees, it is ALWAYS hard to beat them, and winning the division is a pretty unrealistic performance measure regardless of the era. I suppose we can agree on that then. I think with the advent of the Wild Card, teams like the Red Sox care less about winning the division (until 2012 probably). It simply doesn't matter and really doesn't add much to their chances of winning a world series or playoff series. Both of those things take getting good games in big spots, and being on a roll at the right time. You don't have to follow college sports to get what I'm talking about either. Any sport where the two powerhouses of the entire sport are in the same division/conference creates a situation where winning that division--although a really nice feather to have in the cap--is in no way a reflection of the team's competitiveness against all teams in the league. You get this.